Rooney: 'I wasn't wanted at Everton'

Rooney is a boyhood Everton fan, and made waves as a teenager at the club, before moving to Manchester United. He re-joined the 'Toffees' on a two year deal in 2017. 

However, despite a decent goalscoring return, the owner was less than keen to keep him on at the club, according to the player himself. As a result, he left the club over the summer, signing for DC United in the MLS. 

"[Leaving] was the owner's decision. He knew he was going to bring a lot of players in and wanted to free money up. That's his decision but I'm disappointed how it happened," Rooney told 'The Sunday Times'. 

"I started to think: 'Is there something being said?' So I went to see Sam [Allardyce]. I said 'listen, I'm not a kid, what's going on - do you want me or not?'

"Sam was the honest one. He said, 'If I'm still here next season you might not play as much but I still want you'. But then he said: 'I'm not sure the owner has the same opinion'. And trying to get an honest answer out of the owner took three months.

"I kept trying and trying. All I wanted was clarity. Even [current Everton boss] Marco Silva was surprised because before he came in he was told I was leaving - but that was before I was told I could leave."